Sickle device



May17, 1940. s'j v. mmnucalzla srcxLE DEVICE Filed April i2, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet -1 May 7, 1940. s. v. MANINGER SICKLE DEVICE Patented May 7, 1940 narrano sTAras PATEN @FFQ sienne nevica Sylvester V. Maninger, Wichita, Kans., assigner of one-half to Richard Reida, Harper, Kans.

Application April 12, 1937, Serial No. 136,336

2 Claims. (Cl. 56-292) My invention relates to improvements in sickle devices, header and harvester platforms and the like.

It has been'the customary practice to make a sickle device in which the sickle sections are riveted to a sickle bar which is run in a vibratory or reciprocal motion. 'Ihis worked very satisfactorily until recently when the manufacturers of such machinery attempted to speed up the machines andthe result of which caused the sickle to vibrate so fast that it would either break the sickle b ar or jerk the sickle head off the sickle, and so forth.

My improved sickle mechanism is designed to avoid the above mentioned trouble by providing a sickle mechanism in which the sickle blades are carried in a continuous motion similar to that of a chain running around a pair of sprocket wheels. These Vand other objects will be more 2G fully explained as this description progresses.

Now referring to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view ofthe front portion of a harvester platform to which my invention has been applied.

Z5 Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail iront view of the right hand end of the platform shown in Fig. 1, parts being shown in section for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the parts shown 30 vin Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same parts as I shown in Figs. 3 and 4 except the parts are broken away and parts are shown in section for convenience of illustration, the view being taken 35 along the line IV-IV in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of one of th sickle link sections.

. Fig. 6 is a rear view of one of the sickle link sections shown in Fig. 5.l i0 Fig. 7 is a view looking into the left hand end of the device shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a view looking 'at the right hand end of the device shown-in Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line IX-IX in Fig. 6,' the sickle blade being omitted. Fig. l0 is an enlarged detail front view of the left hand end of the platform as shown in Fig. 1, the driving mechanism being shown in section for 50 convenience of illustration.

Fig. l1 is a detailed plan and sectional View of the device shown in Fig. l0, part of which is shown in section for convenience of illustration, the view being taken along kthe line XI-XI in i5 Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a detail sectional view taken along the line XII--XII in Fig. 10.

Fig. 13 is a detail sectional view takenalong the line XIII- XIII in Fig. 1l.

Fig. 14 is a side view of the spindle and sprocket 5 wheel. positioned at either end of the platform and around which the sickle' chain travels. Fig. 15 is a plan view of the spindle and sprocket wheel shown in Figures 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, l2 and 14.

Similar numerals' of reference designate the 10 same parts throughout the several figures of the l drawings.

In the drawings is shown a harvester platform X having a front channel frame element I5 to which sickle guard elements I6 are bolted,vby 15 means of bolts Il. At I8V is a gear housing, which is rigidly attached'to a frame element I5 `by means of bolts I9, which pass through the foot which is an integral part of the housing I8. In the housing I8 is integrally formed a bearing 20 2| in which is revolvably mounted a spindle 22, the lower end of which is provided with a sprocket wheel 23 which is positioned `below the foot 20 .and in a notch 24 that is cut into the channel element I5. 25

On the upper end of the spindle 22 and rigidly mounted thereon is a bevel gear element 25. *At 26 is a drive shaft carried in a bearing 21 that is bolted to the housing I8 by means of bolts 21a. The drive shaft 26 isprovided with an integrally 30 formed collar 28 thereon', which rests against the inner end of the bearing 21 for reasons which will be later explained. f

The inner end of the drive shaft 26 yterminates in a spindle element 29 that is carried in a bear- 35 ingA element 30' 'that .is integrally. formed in the housing element I8. M l

'AIhe portion of thedrive-shaft 26 that is positioned intermediate the collar-28 and the spindle 29 is square as illustrated at 26a; Slidably 40 mounted on the square shaft 26a is a sleeve element 3|, having a pair of integrally formed opposing bevel gears'32and 33 thereon. At 34 is a set screw that is threaded through the sleeve. element 3|, the lower end 34a of4 which projects 45 into a hole in the shaft26a and rigidly 'positions the sleeve element 3| on the shaft 26a so ythat the bevel gear 32 engages the bevel gear 25 for driving purposes. The shaft 26a isfprovided `with a second hole 35 so thatthe screw 35 50 means of reverse drive for the gear 25 which in turn drives the sprocket wheel 23.

The lower 'end 22a of the spi dle 22 projects below the sprocket wheel 23 and is carried in a bearing 36 that is rigidly bolted to the frame element I 5A by means of bolts I1, as shown in Fig. 12. Y

The housing element I3 is provided with a cover plate 31 which is attached to the housing I3 by any suitable means such as bolts or screws 38.

On the opposite end of the frame element I5 is a bearing element 39 having outwardly extending portions 40 and 4I integrally formed thereon. The element 4I being provided with an upwardly extending element 42 which is provided with a threaded hole in which is threaded a bolt 43, the outer end of the bolt 43 passing through a vertically positioned leg 44 of an L shaped element 44h that is rigidly attached to the frame element i 5 by means of a rivet 44a, the head 43a: of the bolt 43 resting against the leg 44 in such a manner that when the bolt 43 is turned, the bearing element 39-40-4I will be slipped along theframe element I5 as will be readily understood.

The foot elements 40 and 4I are provided with elongated holes 45 through which pass bolts 46 that are threaded into the channel element I5, in such a manner that when the bearing element 39-40-4I has been properly positioned by the bolt 43, the bolts 46 may be screwed tight to rigidly hold the bearing element 39-43-4I in its adjusted position on the frame element I5.

Revolvably mounted in the bearing 39 is a, spindie element 41 on the lower end of which is i'ntegrally formed a sprocket wheel 43 which is a .duplicate of the sprocket wheel 23.

Around the two sprocket wheels 23 and 43 is a chain like element composed of a series of links A, a detail of which is shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9; The links are curved as illustrated at 43 and the back side of each link is provided with a recess 50, at one end of which is integrally formed a tongueeye element 5I and at the other end is formed a pair of eye elements 52 and 52a.

Each link A is provided with a lip element 53 'to which is riveted a sickle blade 54 by means of rivets 54a. The links are fastened together by `placing the tongue eye element 5I of one link between the'eye elements 52 and 52a of the adjacent link and then passing a pin 55 through the holes in the elements 5|, v52 and 52a so as to form a hinge connection betweenthe links of the sickle chain. The lip element 53-and the back side of the elements 52a, 5I and 52 rest in a continuousgroove 53, formed in the elements I5, so that the edges of the sickle blades 54 will shear against the sickle guards 51 and pass through the slots 53. The links A are curved as previously mentioned so that as they go around the sprocketwheels 23 and 43, they will fit the curve of the sprocket wheels and the tongue 59 on the sprocket wheel will sink into the groove in the back of the link and the hinge joint at each iend of eachlink will ilt into the'openings 60 in the sprocket wheel, so that when the sprocket wheel 23 is driven, the sickle chain will also be driven in a circuitous route around the two sprocket wheels 23 and 43.

On the back side of the frame element I5 is rigidly attached anangle element 6I, that forms a shelf on which the sickle chain may slide behind the element |5.-

- At 62 is a spring steel element attached by.

' sickle blades 54 as previously described. 'Ihe object of shifting the bearing 39-40-4I as previously described is to loosen or tighten the chain as desired.

' At 53 is shown the usual platform canvas 63, having the usual ribs 34 attached thereto and the edge 63a of the canvas63 isy supported by, and slides on the rear portion 62c of the element 62. v

Such modifications may be employed as lie within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intention of the invention. Now having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: n l

1. In a rotary sickle device; the combination of a frame element having av sprocket wheel revolvably mounted at each end thereof and a link sickle element strung around and between said sprocket wheels; a series of grooved sickle guard elements mounted on said frame element and projecting forwardly therefrom, the bases of said grooved sickle guard -elements abutting each other so that the groove in each guard element` saidlinks are in saidgroove s'o as to aord a stiiening effect for the sickle element in advance of said frame element; a shelf like element carried by said frame element and extending. rearwardly therefrom, said shelf element occupying the space intermediate the said sprocket wheels and being so positioned that the links of said link sickle element will pass thereover and rest thereon and a spring plate element rigidly mounted on said frame element and extending the distance between the said sprocket wheels, said spring plate extending over the link portions of the link sickle element both in front of and' behind the'said vframe element, said spring plate exerting pressure on the sickle blades passing across'the said guard fingers so as to insure a rubbing shearing effect between the sickle blades and the flngers of the sickle guard, said sickle blades having sharpened edges on two sides thereof so that the sickle will cut regardless of the direction of travel of the sickle, and means for driving one of said sprocket wheels in either of two selected directions, and means for adjusting the space intermediate the said sprocket wheels.

2. In a rotary sickle device, the combination of a frame element having a sprocket .wheel revolvably mounted at each end thereof, a series of sickle guard elements rigidly mounted on said frame element and projecting forwardly therefrom; said guard elements having a groove therein, and said groove being so positioned as to form a continuous groove in front of, and parallel with the said frame element. a sickle element, said sickle element being composed of a series of chain like links each of which hav'e a received in the groove in said guards, the curva- 2 tur`e oi` the link ,providing a three point'contact oi the link in the groove so as to create the minimum amount of friction of the series of links in the said groove.

sYLvEs'rEn v. MAMNGER.v 

